I apologize for having not posted in a while, and I also apologize for making this post another post about writing. The simple truth of the matter is, I'm running out of planning time, and I'm so busy that my life is kind of falling apart. The first quarter has ended, and I plan on getting my life back during the second quarter. I want to regain the enthusiasm that I had at the beginning of the school year (and the beginning of this blog) and I want to be happy with myself again.
So I will power through with my writing, try to stay awake and get homework done, get organized, and stay focused and on task. I also want to start getting in better shape because everyone knows that a healthy body is the key to a healthy mind. Today, I give you the third character in my story, the student that Robert tells his story too. This character will have his own story as well, which will be coming shortly.
Name: Peter Jenkins
Meaning of Name: Peter is a very versatile name, and it means stone in Greek. I take that to mean that this character is the stereotypical societal male; strong and incredibly hardy, able to handle any situation with grit and determination...in other words, like Stephanie. His last name, Jenkins, was used as a sort of pet name in England, where his family is from, and it means "little John". Peter's father's name is John, and his last name kind of enforces the fact that all the members of his family are of small build That doesn't mean he's short, it means he has a thin and weak body.
Gender: Male. He is the typical male, as I've said already, and you'll learn throughout this profile that Peter is kind of a mixture of Stephanie and Robert, with a good amount of originality and differentness thrown in.
Age: 47. He is a bit younger than Robert, but he is a college student. His determination has driven him to return to college to earn a degree and spend the rest of his life doing what he really wants to...as to what that is yet, I don't know. He is also too old to be "cool" and he doesn't have the swag that Robert does. Another note...he is younger than Robert to emphasize the fact that he is slightly inferior to him. Peter is not a "cool" guy, and he also isn't a charismatic college professor.
Height: 5 foot 11. As I mentioned in Robert's profile, I am a short guy. Since Peter is only one inch shorter than Robert (another hint at Robert's superiority) he still towers above me. He is tall, but thin. He kind of hunches over all the time, and his body language suggests that he is very introverted. Don't get me wrong, he is supposed to be one of the most hardy and determined people you'd ever meet, but he looks frail.
Eye and Hair Color: Peter's eyes are colored sea-green. To me, the sea represents a wide-open environment. Peter is a man who has returned to college and is very eager to create new opportunities for himself. His hair is red, just like Stephanie's, to show his passion for life and his desire to get an education.
Character Traits: Charming. Peter, once you get to know him, is an incredibly perceptive individual, and he is very nice. He knows how to get people to like him, but his appearance makes people want to avoid him in the first place. The women that he is interested in dating come in one of two kinds; nice and accepting ones, who eventually learn what a sweet guy he is, and ones that think he's a creeper. The simple truth of the matter is, if Peter was an attractive guy, this second group of women would be attracted to his charm. Since he's kind of ugly, they automatically categorize him as a creeper. Committed. Peter, as I've said countless times, is one of the most determined guys you'll ever meet. He has gone back to college, and you can be sure that he will work his hardest and pass all of his classes with flying colors. Just like Stephanie, however, he can tend to be a bit of a workaholic, and some people think that he takes everything too seriously. Messy. One bad trait about Peter is that he is really disorganized and messy. He does not have a wife or kids, but would like to raise a family. The apartment where he lives now, however, is a total disaster area. He has no organizational skills whatsoever. His style is more impulsive than coordinated. Scared of the dark. Peter is frightened of the dark, and he actually sleeps on his couch where he can still see the streetlights coming through the windows. He is afraid of literal dark, but he is also afraid of the unknown. He doesn't like being mentally inferior to other people, and he is afraid of what he doesn't know. Thusly, while he is looking forward to having more opportunities in college, he is afraid of finding out that he is really behind compared to others.
So there is my third character. I am really running out of planning time, so I'll have to hurry up and plan a story for Peter. That should be up very soon. I will hopefully be posting more often from now on, so there's that to look forward to. This project is really coming together, and I personally can't wait to see my characters come to life. Until next time....
Monday, October 24, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Robert's Story and Some Other Things
I have a couple of new details to add to "The Touch of Fear", Stephanie's story. Robert's wife is killed at night at an outdoor flower market. She decides to go pick up flowers for Robert's parent's anniversary, which is the next day. Right as Robert arrives at the flower market to meet her, her killer is running away, having just committed the crime. Robert follows him, but the criminal gets away, leaving his gun. Robert gets caught with the gun in his hand (as well as more "evidence" that points towards him "killing his wife") and he is imprisoned. The rest I explained in the last post.
Stephanie placing her false evidence is caught on camera, and the news team later broadcasts her crime on television. She is caught and charged as well. Her students end up raising a ton of money and bailing her out of jail. She is incredibly angry because they didn't bail her brother out (she was the one who actually committed the crime) but still agrees to fight for her brother's case. She proves her brother innocent but loses her job.
Robert's story will be called "Pieces of Time." This is, once again, a seperate story from Stephanie's. Stehanie's story will be told from the third-person, and Robert's will be told from first-person. Robert's story involves Robert telling a student about his life-changing experience that made him fear failure. It is called "Pieces of Time" because that's literally what he is relating to this student. In the story, Robert is about 18 and he has a gorgeous girlfriend whom he adores. He has just finished an argument with her over the telephone because she cancelled a date to the movies with him and he is about to hang up, until he realizes that she did not. He hears her talking to someone, and picks up a conversation that he really shouldn't be hearing.
His best friend and role model who is three years older than him, is at his girlfriend's house with her, and they talk about how cocky and jerkish Robert is. The two talk about how Robert's girlfriend is cheating on Robert with his best friend, and then they both decide to sneak out to make love in a secluded place. Robert becomes incredibly suspicious of his best friend and this obviously destroys their friendship. Robert wonders what else his friend is doing behind his back.
Once he learns where the two are going, Robert angrily goes there to see if they were serious. The place is a remote little meadow, and a big rusty van is rotting in the grass. They are inside the van, and Robert creeps up on them and notices them inside. Instead of bursting in with figurative guns blazing, he hangs back and decides to get revenge on his best friend instead. His best friend had spent a long time saving up money to buy an old airplane, and he spent a lot of time fixing it up. Robert goes and sabotages the underside of the plane, then leaves.
That weekend, his best friend, not knowing that Robert knows about him and his girlfriend, invites Robert for a ride in his plane. Robert freaks out, sort of regretting that he sabotaged it, but still goes with him. Since Robert damaged the underside, his bestie doesn't notice. They are up in the air, and suddenly, something goes wrong with the gas tank. Moments later, the controls explode in Robert's friend's face, instantly killing him. Robert has to take control of the plane which he has no idea how to navigate, and guide it to the ground. When they get back, the authorities determine that it was sabotage (duh) but they can't determine who did it.
Robert is severely traumatically scarred by this, blaming himself for it all. Robert's girlfriend is beside herself with grief, since she really loved Robert's friend, but not Robert. She breaks up with him and tells him she was cheating on him. Robert tells a middle-aged Stephanie about it, and somehow his dad finds out. His dad never treats him the same way again, and Robert's entire personality changes.
Well there ya have it, folks. That's the entirety of Robert's story. I don't see this changing much. The next step of my planning process is to create a brand spanking new character. This will either be a teacher or a student. If I decide it will be a student, it will most likely be the student that Robert is telling his story to. Until next time...maybe I'll do a post that's not writing related. See ya!
Stephanie placing her false evidence is caught on camera, and the news team later broadcasts her crime on television. She is caught and charged as well. Her students end up raising a ton of money and bailing her out of jail. She is incredibly angry because they didn't bail her brother out (she was the one who actually committed the crime) but still agrees to fight for her brother's case. She proves her brother innocent but loses her job.
Robert's story will be called "Pieces of Time." This is, once again, a seperate story from Stephanie's. Stehanie's story will be told from the third-person, and Robert's will be told from first-person. Robert's story involves Robert telling a student about his life-changing experience that made him fear failure. It is called "Pieces of Time" because that's literally what he is relating to this student. In the story, Robert is about 18 and he has a gorgeous girlfriend whom he adores. He has just finished an argument with her over the telephone because she cancelled a date to the movies with him and he is about to hang up, until he realizes that she did not. He hears her talking to someone, and picks up a conversation that he really shouldn't be hearing.
His best friend and role model who is three years older than him, is at his girlfriend's house with her, and they talk about how cocky and jerkish Robert is. The two talk about how Robert's girlfriend is cheating on Robert with his best friend, and then they both decide to sneak out to make love in a secluded place. Robert becomes incredibly suspicious of his best friend and this obviously destroys their friendship. Robert wonders what else his friend is doing behind his back.
Once he learns where the two are going, Robert angrily goes there to see if they were serious. The place is a remote little meadow, and a big rusty van is rotting in the grass. They are inside the van, and Robert creeps up on them and notices them inside. Instead of bursting in with figurative guns blazing, he hangs back and decides to get revenge on his best friend instead. His best friend had spent a long time saving up money to buy an old airplane, and he spent a lot of time fixing it up. Robert goes and sabotages the underside of the plane, then leaves.
That weekend, his best friend, not knowing that Robert knows about him and his girlfriend, invites Robert for a ride in his plane. Robert freaks out, sort of regretting that he sabotaged it, but still goes with him. Since Robert damaged the underside, his bestie doesn't notice. They are up in the air, and suddenly, something goes wrong with the gas tank. Moments later, the controls explode in Robert's friend's face, instantly killing him. Robert has to take control of the plane which he has no idea how to navigate, and guide it to the ground. When they get back, the authorities determine that it was sabotage (duh) but they can't determine who did it.
Robert is severely traumatically scarred by this, blaming himself for it all. Robert's girlfriend is beside herself with grief, since she really loved Robert's friend, but not Robert. She breaks up with him and tells him she was cheating on him. Robert tells a middle-aged Stephanie about it, and somehow his dad finds out. His dad never treats him the same way again, and Robert's entire personality changes.
Well there ya have it, folks. That's the entirety of Robert's story. I don't see this changing much. The next step of my planning process is to create a brand spanking new character. This will either be a teacher or a student. If I decide it will be a student, it will most likely be the student that Robert is telling his story to. Until next time...maybe I'll do a post that's not writing related. See ya!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Character Profile #2 and Story Changes
Today I introduce a second character. This character is different than the one that I originally intended, and so he changes the entire storyline that I painstakingly typed out in my children's story post. I will meld together the story changes with this second character. Keep in mind that the story changes apply only to "The Touch of Fear" which is Stephanie's story. This character will also have a seperate story of his own.
Name: Robert Brown
Meaning of Name: I'd like to mention an extraneous detail and say that Robert and Stephanie are still related characters, and they both have English heritage. Now that that's out of the way, Robert is a name that means bright fame in German. I take that to mean that Robert is one of those popular, charismatic guys. He has spent his entire life essentially getting whatever he wants because he is so likeable. He's the guy that everybody wants to be every day. The last name Brown really isn't very significant. It is meant to be plain (just like Robert's physical appearance). While Robert is plain, that doesn't detract from the fact that he is every girl's dream guy...because of his personality.
Age: 49 years old. While Robert is not really in his prime anymore, he is still a relatively young man. Normally, people of this age have lost their "coolness" factor. Robert has not. All of his students think of him as one of their own...and that is one reason why Robert still struggles at his job, does not have his PhD, and is not Department Head like Doctor Winters is.
Height: 6 feet tall exactly. Like I said in Stephanie's character profile, I am a short guy, so Robert towers above me. One thing that I forgot to mention is that Stephanie and Robert are half-siblings. They share the same dad (since Stephanie's mom was killed in a pyrotechnic accident) but not the same mom. Why the big age difference? Well, you'll see. Robert is so tall because being tall kind of makes you popular with everyone. It is a sign of physical superiority, which Robert has. It also acts as one of many contrasts between Stephanie and Robert.
Eye and Hair Color: One thing that Robert and Stephanie do have in common is their eyes. They both have powerful blue eyes. Stephanie's eyes are more cold and calculating, while Robert's eyes are sharp and penetrating. They both inherit this trait from their father. Robert's hair is blonde, another symbol of his popularity. Everyone knows that blonde people have more fun, and this is true for Robert as well as for any other blonde person. Keep in mind that every trait that Robert and Stephanie do not share came from Robert's mother.
Character Traits: Gentle. Robert is popular because he is incredibly nice to every person that he meets. When people talk about Robert, the phrase "nicest guy you'll ever know" comes out a lot. His quiet and calm personality traits contrast with Stephanie's abrasive ones. Hard-working. Unlike Stephanie, Robert has to actually put in a lot of work to succeed. He knows that he isn't the cleverest guy around, and he spends many late nights working to be on task. He wasn't always that determined, though... Mean. Robert's only flaw is that his gentle shell can sometimes crack. When it does, he can become downright mean. It doesn't happen often, but the little bit of Stephanie inside of him comes out on occasion. Scared of failure. Because of a certain event that happened in his past, Robert is incredibly frightened that he won't measure up to what people expect of him. Sure, he's incredibly popular, but really he's just a big bundle of unstable nerves.
That's Robert's profile. He was originally supposed to be Stephanie's nephew, but in the development process for his character, he became her half-sibling. He was born when Stephanie was already fifteen, and his mother was a whore. Robert's and Stephanie's father, Mr. Brown, kind of let himself go after his wife died. He spent his money on drinking and prostitutes, and one day, a baby showed up at his door with a note from the hooker who birthed him. From then on, he treated Robert as well as (or better than) Stephanie, and this experience greatly affected his teenaged daughter.
Stephanie comes around 49 years later, however, and sacrifices her job to save Robert's. Robert is accused of killing his wife, but everyone knows that he didn't. His three children are just completely lost without their mom, and they are even more confused when the police says that dear old daddy killed her. Stephanie knows that he didn't do it, but evidence continues to come up against Robert. So she goes to an extreme and tampers with the police records to make it look like Robert didn't do it. She is caught and loses her job, and in the end, it is revealed that he didn't do it after all. One thing to note. The story about her nephew getting drunk at a party is SCRAPPED. This is the new "The Touch of Fear." Sorry to change it on you, but these are the kind of things that happen during planning.
One more thing I'd like to touch on before I end this post. Robert Brown will have his own seperate story as part of this collection, and his will be about the fateful experience that changed him from a cocky young kid into a gentle man who is scared of himself. I'm not sure exactly how that story will work yet, so stay tuned and I'll have something for you eventually. Until next time!
Name: Robert Brown
Meaning of Name: I'd like to mention an extraneous detail and say that Robert and Stephanie are still related characters, and they both have English heritage. Now that that's out of the way, Robert is a name that means bright fame in German. I take that to mean that Robert is one of those popular, charismatic guys. He has spent his entire life essentially getting whatever he wants because he is so likeable. He's the guy that everybody wants to be every day. The last name Brown really isn't very significant. It is meant to be plain (just like Robert's physical appearance). While Robert is plain, that doesn't detract from the fact that he is every girl's dream guy...because of his personality.
Age: 49 years old. While Robert is not really in his prime anymore, he is still a relatively young man. Normally, people of this age have lost their "coolness" factor. Robert has not. All of his students think of him as one of their own...and that is one reason why Robert still struggles at his job, does not have his PhD, and is not Department Head like Doctor Winters is.
Height: 6 feet tall exactly. Like I said in Stephanie's character profile, I am a short guy, so Robert towers above me. One thing that I forgot to mention is that Stephanie and Robert are half-siblings. They share the same dad (since Stephanie's mom was killed in a pyrotechnic accident) but not the same mom. Why the big age difference? Well, you'll see. Robert is so tall because being tall kind of makes you popular with everyone. It is a sign of physical superiority, which Robert has. It also acts as one of many contrasts between Stephanie and Robert.
Eye and Hair Color: One thing that Robert and Stephanie do have in common is their eyes. They both have powerful blue eyes. Stephanie's eyes are more cold and calculating, while Robert's eyes are sharp and penetrating. They both inherit this trait from their father. Robert's hair is blonde, another symbol of his popularity. Everyone knows that blonde people have more fun, and this is true for Robert as well as for any other blonde person. Keep in mind that every trait that Robert and Stephanie do not share came from Robert's mother.
Character Traits: Gentle. Robert is popular because he is incredibly nice to every person that he meets. When people talk about Robert, the phrase "nicest guy you'll ever know" comes out a lot. His quiet and calm personality traits contrast with Stephanie's abrasive ones. Hard-working. Unlike Stephanie, Robert has to actually put in a lot of work to succeed. He knows that he isn't the cleverest guy around, and he spends many late nights working to be on task. He wasn't always that determined, though... Mean. Robert's only flaw is that his gentle shell can sometimes crack. When it does, he can become downright mean. It doesn't happen often, but the little bit of Stephanie inside of him comes out on occasion. Scared of failure. Because of a certain event that happened in his past, Robert is incredibly frightened that he won't measure up to what people expect of him. Sure, he's incredibly popular, but really he's just a big bundle of unstable nerves.
That's Robert's profile. He was originally supposed to be Stephanie's nephew, but in the development process for his character, he became her half-sibling. He was born when Stephanie was already fifteen, and his mother was a whore. Robert's and Stephanie's father, Mr. Brown, kind of let himself go after his wife died. He spent his money on drinking and prostitutes, and one day, a baby showed up at his door with a note from the hooker who birthed him. From then on, he treated Robert as well as (or better than) Stephanie, and this experience greatly affected his teenaged daughter.
Stephanie comes around 49 years later, however, and sacrifices her job to save Robert's. Robert is accused of killing his wife, but everyone knows that he didn't. His three children are just completely lost without their mom, and they are even more confused when the police says that dear old daddy killed her. Stephanie knows that he didn't do it, but evidence continues to come up against Robert. So she goes to an extreme and tampers with the police records to make it look like Robert didn't do it. She is caught and loses her job, and in the end, it is revealed that he didn't do it after all. One thing to note. The story about her nephew getting drunk at a party is SCRAPPED. This is the new "The Touch of Fear." Sorry to change it on you, but these are the kind of things that happen during planning.
One more thing I'd like to touch on before I end this post. Robert Brown will have his own seperate story as part of this collection, and his will be about the fateful experience that changed him from a cocky young kid into a gentle man who is scared of himself. I'm not sure exactly how that story will work yet, so stay tuned and I'll have something for you eventually. Until next time!
Friday, October 7, 2011
I Can't Think of Any More Ways to Play Off of the Word Grimm...
Hello all. School is getting incredibly busy as the first quarter starts to come to a close. The teachers are all piling on the work so that they have an ample amount of grades to use for the first grading period. Beyond that, Homecoming is tomorrow, and I just landed the lead in the fall play. Things are going to get much busier as the second quarter kicks off, and I need to refresh myself and recharge my batteries a little next week. Today's post will be the second and last part of my Grimm fairy tale, and after that, I will post heavy planning and stuff for my November project. I have changed up the story after generating the second character, and the project is now quite different than it used to be. So here's the ending.
The most astonishing thing about this room, however, was that it was filled end to end with paper boxes. There were so many of the unmarked containers that it seemed impossible that they could all be full. Ganesh, curious as ever, picked up a box and tore it open. Inside he found gold. Gold everything. Gold goblets, gold plates, gold silverware, gold necklaces, bracelets, and arm bands, gold clothes, gold rings, and pretty much every item you could imagine made in gold. There were also pearls and jewels and other precious stones, as well as many other things that looked incredibly valuable.
Ganesh picked up a golden goblet and a golden spoon, and then replaced the box where he found it. He was in awe of the vast amount of treasure that was in the gigantic room, and he figured that the contents of this room were more valuable than all of his brother’s wealth. Ganesh headed back towards the iron door with goblet and spoon in hand, and he once again commanded the door to open. Stepping back out into the real world, he quickly headed home with his golden treasures tucked under his shirt.
From that day onward, Ganesh began to live the life of the wealthy. The first thing he did was give his family a nice, filling home-cooked meal with food bought from the market. After debating what else to do with his cash, he eventually decided that he should help others like himself. He gave money to homeless shelters and hand-delivered food to starving families. After a while, however, the money that the spoon and goblet brought him began to run out. Ganesh had to plan a return trip to the Bazenji Bazaar. He went to his brother, who was very suspicious of the sudden surge of money that his brother had got, and he asked him for a burlap sack. Ganesh had run out of money and could not afford one for himself. His brother obliged, but his suspicion of Ganesh’s overnight success grew.
The next day, Ganesh returned to the alleyway where the Bazaar was located, and to his relief, it was still there. After saying the magic words, Ganesh headed inside with his burlap sack. He went to the same box that he had been at before, and only took a couple of items with him, even though he had a large bag this time. He didn’t want to appear greedy to whoever ran this place. After he had taken just enough to get him by with the charities for a little while, he headed back towards the door and opened it.
Ganesh fearlessly walked back out into the alleyway and headed towards home. After he was about fifteen feet away from the door, the twelve thugs suddenly came around the corner behind him. The lead one pointed and yelled something at his eleven friends, and all twelve rushed towards Ganesh. He was so afraid that he could do nothing but stand stock still and shiver. What could one man do against twelve?
“Who are you?” the lead thug asked. “And why are you here?”
Thinking on his feet, Ganesh replied, “I was simply exploring this alleyway. Is there anything against that?”
“No, I suppose not.” The thug said suspiciously, “but this is our territory. I do not want to see your face here again.”
“I understand perfectly, my good sir. You won’t see me again.”
With that, Ganesh rushed out of the alleyway and started heading home. He didn’t even look to see if the twelve men were watching him. If he ever wanted to enter the Bazenji Bazaar again, he would have to be very cautious indeed. Time passed, and Madhav got more and more suspicious of his brother’s actions. When Ganesh’s money ran out again, he began to brainstorm a new way to get to the Bazaar without being seen. First, he asked his brother for the bag again. Madhav kindly offers to bring the bag over to Ganesh’s house. Thinking this strange, Ganesh patiently waits at his house for the bag. Madhav brings the bag, and does not tell his brother that he has covered the bottom of the bag in a clear adhesive substance. Madhav wants to know what his brother does with this bag, and he is driven to finding out the secret to Ganesh’s success.
Ganesh takes the bag and makes his way to the Bazaar at sundown. He is incredibly cautious, as he has been watching the twelve and learning their patterns for days now. He realized that they like to raid the Bazaar at midnight, and that is why Ganesh traveled at sundown instead of at night. Finally reaching the Bazaar, he whispers the code words and enters carefully. After checking to make sure that the twelve were not inside the Bazaar, he takes only a few more golden items. Satisfied and a little cocky that he did not get caught, Ganesh sauntered back out into the alley.
“There he is! I told you that he was stealing from us!” the lead thug yelled as the twelve came out of a side alley and caught sight of Ganesh. “Get him!”
Ganesh instinctively panicked and ran like a gazelle away from the twelve. He blasted back into the main street and powered his legs to run as fast as the wind. The twelve thieves were right behind him, and Ganesh took a cue from the action movies by grabbing a cart of fruit and shoving it down behind him. The twelve thieves had to stop and maneuver around the commotion that Ganesh caused, and Ganesh managed to get back to his home safe and sound. He went into his room and emptied the gold into his special hiding place, and suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder. Frozen solid, Ganesh knew that the hand probably belonged to one of the twelve. He was relieved to hear his brother’s voice instead.
“Let me see your bag, brother.” Madhav said with a grumble in his voice.
“W-why would you want to see your bag? It’s empty.” Ganesh said in a trembling tone.
“That matters little. Give me your bag.”
Ganesh handed over the bag, and Madhav looked inside of it.
“Ah-hah! I knew that you were hiding something from me.” Madhav pulled a single gold fork out of the bag and waved it in his brother’s face. “Where is the rest of the gold you had in this bag? Where did you get these valuable items?”
“The fork was the only thing I found. I was…picking up trash on the street when I found it.” Ganesh could not keep a straight face while he told the blatant lie. Madhav caught on to his bluff instantly.
“You did not just find this trinket in the street. TELL me where you got this from.”
Under pressure, Ganesh cracked and told his brother the truth. He told him about the Bazaar, where it was, and how to open it. He told him the riches that were inside, and what it had done for him in the past couple of weeks. The verdant light of greed filled Madhav’s eyes, and he immediately headed towards where Ganesh said the Bazaar was. The only thing that Ganesh forgot to tell his brother was about the twelve thieves. The grandfather clock in Ganesh’s house chimed midnight as Madhav left the room.
Going along the route that his brother Ganesh told him, Madhav quickly arrived at the neon sign for the Bazenji Bazaar. Unfortunately, however, he had almost forgotten the name of the place. The sign remedied that problem immediately, and he opened the door with the secret words. The same calm, quiet elevator music poured out of the room, and Madhav smiled. This music reminded him of the environment in his own office building. It was a tune that exemplified the life of the wealthy. He strode inside unafraid, and he saw the riches that were ripe for the picking inside the Bazaar. With none of the humbleness that Ganesh had, Madhav took the most valuable items and filled his entire bag. With this money, he would be able to buy many more wonderful material things. When he went to leave the Bazaar, however, he could not remember the name of it, and there was no sign inside to help him out.
“Benji, Benji, open up!” he cried, but the door would not open. “Benji, Benji, open up!” Still the door would not open for him. The name Bazenji had completely left the recesses of his mind, and he sat down on the white ground, his newfound riches now completely worthless. He began to think about how worthless it all was, how his brother might just have been right to give the money to charities. Material possessions were such a part of his daily life, however, that he could not seem to exist in any other way.
“BENJI, BENJI, OPEN UP!” he yelled, and suddenly, the door opened.
He had not opened the door, however. It had been opened from the outside. The twelve thieves ran in, having heard Madhav’s yell, and the lead thug immediately pulled a very large and intimidating knife on Madhav.
“So, peasant, we have finally caught you. After stealing from us twice, we have cornered you this third time. You made a grave mistake, coming here twice in one night. Now you will pay the price.”
“What?!” Madhav screamed. His brother hadn’t told him about this. “I have not stolen from you twice. It was my brother! My twin brother!”
“Like we are fools enough to believe that story. Now, men, let us dispatch this dirty peasant thief.”
And just like that, the large knife swung towards Madhav’s neck, and an instant later his life ended. The ruddy stain of blood washed over the once-pristine white floor, and Madhav’s severed head dropped to the floor with a thump.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
For Little Eyes Only
As promised, this post will consist of the entirety of my children's story, Qenny the Koala. I used strange spelling for the character names, and please keep in mind that this is a CHILDREN'S STORY. I don't pretend that this is a mind-boggling prose masterpiece. With that being said, here is the story.
Qenny the Koala was a very special koala. His mother was a kind, loving koala named Loary. Qenny the Koala wasn’t like other koalas though. Most koalas ate special leaves that kept them healthy and sleepy, too. When Qenny was born and his mamma first tried to feed him a special leaf, he coughed it back up. “I don’t like this, mamma. Get me something else!” he cried. “Qenny, you have to eat this leaf. It makes you healthy and sleepy, too.” But Qenny the Koala just couldn’t eat the special leaf. One day, Qenny was swinging on top of the trees in his forest, when he suddenly found a strange animal. This animal was black and white, with a big, chubby face. “Hello.” The animal said. “I am Penni the Panda. Would you like to eat some of my special leaf?” “No, I cannot.” Qenny said to the panda. “I cannot eat any of the special leaves that normal koalas eat.” “Oh, but this is not a koala leaf. This is bamboo, a panda leaf. Try it. You might like it.” Qenny gratefully accepted the bamboo leaf, and he enjoyed the taste very much. “Mmmm! This is much better than the koala leaf!” Qenny said happily. Qenny and Penni began to see each other more often, and Qenny took home many panda leaves for him and his koala friends to eat. The panda leaves were different from the koala leaves, though. Koala leaves made you sleepy, and all of the koala grown-ups slept for most of every day. The panda leaves made you feel like shouting and jumping up and down and being crazy all the time. Because they ate the panda leaves instead of the koala leaves, Qenny and his friends jumped around and disturbed their parents sleep for days on end. Eventually the grown-up koalas got angry at Qenny because he kept them awake. “You need to stop eating the panda leaves, Qenny. Why can’t you eat koala leaves like all the other koalas?” “I don’t know, mamma.” Qenny replied. “My friends like both koala and panda leaves, but I only like panda leaves. What should I do?” “If you can’t eat koala leaves, then you can’t be a koala.” Qenny became very sad because of what his mamma told him, and he went to see Penni. “How can I become a panda, Penni? I keep waking up all the koalas where I live. My mamma told me that I cannot be a koala anymore. I want to be a panda like you.” “I know how you can become a panda!” Penni said. “Here, come with me.” Penni took Qenny to a muddy swamp. “Here, roll around in the mud, and you’ll get black spots on you like a panda!” Qenny rolled around in the swamp, and when he came out, he looked like as much of a panda as Penni was. “Now I’ll take you to where the pandas live!” Penni and Qenny came to where the rest of the pandas lived. Penni’s father, Nikell, welcomed Qenny as a son. Qenny and the pandas lived happily ever after together, and the pandas threw wild parties every night.
DRUGS!
So there you have it. Seeing as this post will be a little short because of the short story I had, I will relent and give you all a couple of details on my November project idea. I have determined that the entire collection of stories will involve a single fictional college environment, and the stories will revolve around important events between teachers and students. Sounds cliche, I know, but I hope that I can use the plot device of the students' newfound independence to create some interesting storylines. Stephanie Winters (Professor Winters, that is) is going to be the Department Head of whatever she teaches, and her story will involve her making a sacrifice and losing her job. The topic that I am going to touch upon throughout her story is...when you are under suspicion and/or you know you did something wrong, I believe that your everyday behavior changes drastically.
When Stephanie is put under suspicion for doing something, she struggles with the morality of the situation and eventually decides to resign and save the career of one of her students. Her specific story in the collection will be called "The Touch of Fear", which I think nicely explains what I'm trying to say with the piece. As for what Stephanie is actually fighting for...she has a nephew (a character I have yet to invent...) who has a very unstable mental health condition. He goes to the college that Stephanie teaches at, and the only reason that he hasn't been kicked out yet is because Stephanie promised to watch over him.
Her nephew decides that he wants to go to a party that he got invited to, and he pleads with the usually stone-cold Stephanie to let him go. She relents and allows him to go to the party, and the nephew gets drunk there. In his drunken stupor, someone provokes her nephew and the nephew seriously injures that person. The administration blames the nephew (obviously) but Stephanie eventually reveals that it was her decision to let him go. Since the nephew technically did not break any rules, he stays at the school but Stephanie loses her job.
One more thing that I'd like to mention. All of these short stories will have a common element to bind them, and that element is a set of deck chairs that lies on one of the courtyards of the college. This is a popular leisure area that virtually all of the students use at one point or another, and the teachers are sometimes seen there as well. The stories all revolve around these deck chairs and what they symbolize; the comfort of leisure in a busy daily life. As some of you may know, the phrase "rearranging the deck chairs" is a phrase that means that certain things have changed only in appearance. Think of it this way. You have a set of deck chairs. They are purple, blue, and red. If you change the order of them (AKA rearranging them) to blue, red, purple, then you have changed the deck chairs...but they themselves haven't really changed. So it shows the fact that while drastic changes may be happening somewhere, things are still essentially the same. And that is the theme that will be apparent throughout my November project. I'll post again soon with info on Stephanie's nephew.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Why So Grimm?
So today, I post the long-awaited first part of my modernized Grimm fairy tale. I know that you have all just been dying to read my unedited version of Simeli Mountain. If you like my rendition of it, tell me in the comments below. I may use some of the key concepts of it for a future story. Oh, and one last thing. It's a Creative Writing update. We are currently writing short little children's stories with pictures, and I will be posting the no-picture version for my next post. I hope it will entertain you all. Without further ado, here is the fairy tale.
Now, children, let me tell you the ancient and timeless story of the Bazenji Bazaar. The Bazenji Bazaar was an incredible place of wealth and treasure that made its home in the back alleys of the city of New Delhi. Only a few people knew about it, and even less people knew how to access it. Today, you will hear of the story of twin brothers who found the place by accident. One brother received wondrous riches from the Bazaar; the other met his end in the there. But first, both brothers had to find the Bazaar…
Ganesh and Madhav were two brothers who were both born into a very poor family that lived in the slums of New Delhi. Their father sold telephones for the smallest telephone company in India, and he was not a very successful businessman. When the eldest son, Madhav, became an adult he vowed to move to America to learn the ways of the famous entrepreneurs there. He also vowed to come back to India a wealthy man. Within four years, he had achieved this goal, and he came back to his home of New Delhi to manage the largest telephone company in the country.
During this time, the younger brother, Ganesh was patiently waiting for his turn in the spotlight. Although he also really longed to go to America and be rich like his brother, their family could only afford to send one son to America. Ganesh’s father pleaded with Madhav to let them borrow money to send Ganesh to school as well, but Madhav did not want any competition in the business world, so he refused to lend his father money. Madhav was a very greedy man, and he used all of his money on material possessions, giving nothing to charity.
After it was decided that Madhav would not be giving any money to Ganesh, Ganesh applied to be a salesman for Madhav’s company. Madhav reluctantly gave him the job, and Ganesh began going door to door selling telephones, just like his father did. Ganesh was about as successful as his father was, but he was still married to a lovely woman and he managed to have 5 wonderful children. Eventually, however, Madhav started reducing Ganesh’s pay check, and Ganesh was soon struggling to support his family.
One day, while Ganesh was out making telephone sales, he passed by a dark alley, and something caught his eye. Doubling back to see what it was, he noticed something that he had never seen before in that alley. It was a brightly colored neon sign. The sign read “Here lies the Bazenji Bazaar.” The sign was decorated with a genie coming out of his neon-yellow lamp. Ganesh found the sign intriguing, and he took himself and his telephones over to investigate. He noticed that right below the sign was a gigantic, imposing iron door.
Before he could take a closer look, twelve men turned the corner and started heading down the alley as well. Ganesh stood still for a moment, until he realized how rough and mean-looking these twelve guys looked. Suddenly panicking, Ganesh took his telephones and darted down a side alley to hide. He waited for about a minute, and then peeked his head around the corner to watch the men. One of the thugs stepped towards the door and said in a loud voice;
“Bazenji, Bazenji, open up!”
The huge iron door swung open as quickly as though it were made of cardboard, and it slammed against the surrounding brick wall with a huge, satisfying thud. From inside the door, Ganesh could hear the faint sound of American elevator music. The tones that escaped from the room beyond the door were sweet and soothing, but also slightly empty-sounding and creepy. The twelve men looked at each other and grinned, and then they stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind them.
Frightened, but also curious, Ganesh walked up to the door and stared at it for a while, wondering what could be inside. He decided that curiosity in this matter may not necessarily be safe, so he and his telephones walked away, back where he had come from. At that moment, the iron door swung open again of its own accord, and the twelve thugs came back out into the alley. Still afraid of the scary-looking men, Ganesh dashed back into the side alley and waited for them to leave. He took note of the fact that each of them was carrying a burlap sack that was bulging with odd-shaped objects.
“Bazenji, Bazenji, close!” the same thug said, and the iron door swung shut with a bang.
Now that the thieves were gone, Ganesh decided that maybe he could risk investigating this door after all. He walked up to it cautiously and looked at the neon sign again. The sign flickered, and he could still hear the faint sound of the relaxing music behind the door. Taking his cue from what the lead thug did, he stood before the door and said,
“Bazenji, Bazenji, open up!”
The door opened for Ganesh just as it did for the twelve thugs, and Ganesh cautiously stepped inside. Immediately he was hit with a rush of sound. The tinkling of the bells that played the elevator music was much louder inside the actual room, and it had quite a hypnotizing effect. The entire room was painted white, and it was so bright that you couldn’t tell exactly where the ceiling met the walls and where the walls met the floor.
Part 2 to follow after my children's story.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Character Profile #1
Hello all. I apologize for what I'm about to do. For the next couple of posts, you are going to get some choppy short little snippets about either my planning for my first writing project, or postings of what I'm doing in Creative Writing. The Pertinent Life Questions series is most likely ended. I will try to post an occasional post about something other than writing, but this blog is called "The Write Place" after all.
As I begin planning today for my first official writing project, please keep in mind that all of the things I write for my Creative Writing class are all off of the top of my head. That means that they are random spoutings of words which I do not plan in advance. I do not expect any of that crap to be good. I just use that class for practice. With that being said, I will post my modernization of a Grimm fairy tale after a couple of days.
For my first "Short Story Planning" post, I'd like to post a profile of the first character I've created for my story. I do not know how they will fit into the story yet or even what the story will be, but I have devoted this day to fleshing out this first character.
Name: Stephanie Winters
Meaning of Name: Stephanie is the female form of Stephen. Stephen means crown in Greek, which I take to mean leader. Saint Stephen was also a biblical figure who was stoned to death after Jesus died. He is widely regarded as the first Christian martyr, and so, I take Stephanie to also symbolize martyrdom. So far, Stephanie Winters is a leader and a martyr. Winters was a last name that used to be given to farmers who had to send in their taxes during the winter. That, to me, symbolizes hardships that the farmers took to do their duty. So Stephanie Winters is a leader who is willing to go through any hardships and any sacrifices to succeed at what she does. Although she is female, I picture her as a character who goes against the stereotypical female. Stephanie reminds me more of a male character at this point, having a mysterious past and having dealt with many a hard time.
Age: 64 years old, this reinforces the fact that Stephanie is an older (but not elderly) lady who has seen her fair share of the cruelties life can offer.
Height: 4 foot 9. I am a short guy, and the top of Stephanie's head comes right up to eye level for me. She is a short woman, which exemplifies even further the fact that she has dealt with bigger (and meaner) people.
Eye and Hair Color: Her eyes are steel blue. Stephanie is a character who is dead set on what she wants, and she will give up anything to see her dreams come true. But she also has another side to her...her hair is bright red (although it's starting to gray a little bit). This shows her passionate side. Just because she can be cold and determined doesn't mean that she is an emotionless monster. She actually CARES about the people that she works with.
Character Traits: Assertive. We've already beaten to death the fact that she is more man than woman. She has a confidence about her that sets her apart from the stereotypical literary woman figure. Imaginative. This is another aspect of her passionate side. Playing into her bright red hair, Stephanie is also very creative and clever. This helps her to succeed and really make a name for herself...in whatever she does. Moody. This is a downside of being a hard-shelled person. Stephanie can occasionally get REALLY crabby. She definitely has her bad days, and she is for sure a person who will snap at you if you get caught on her bad side. Scared of fireworks. Not quite sure about how to implement this one yet, but I'll figure it out eventually. I think that I may have her have a traumatic childhood experience involving a death because of a firework accident. The death will definitely involve a major female figure for her, since that adds to the lack of femininity that she has.
That's all for now, folks. Hopefully after I post my Grimm fairy tale story I'll be able to clue you in a little more on what to expect for my short story collection. I'll have a basic story line by next time, and maybe another character or two. Please comment below and tell me how you like Mrs. Stephanie Winters. I'm eager to read your reactions. Until next time...
As I begin planning today for my first official writing project, please keep in mind that all of the things I write for my Creative Writing class are all off of the top of my head. That means that they are random spoutings of words which I do not plan in advance. I do not expect any of that crap to be good. I just use that class for practice. With that being said, I will post my modernization of a Grimm fairy tale after a couple of days.
For my first "Short Story Planning" post, I'd like to post a profile of the first character I've created for my story. I do not know how they will fit into the story yet or even what the story will be, but I have devoted this day to fleshing out this first character.
Name: Stephanie Winters
Meaning of Name: Stephanie is the female form of Stephen. Stephen means crown in Greek, which I take to mean leader. Saint Stephen was also a biblical figure who was stoned to death after Jesus died. He is widely regarded as the first Christian martyr, and so, I take Stephanie to also symbolize martyrdom. So far, Stephanie Winters is a leader and a martyr. Winters was a last name that used to be given to farmers who had to send in their taxes during the winter. That, to me, symbolizes hardships that the farmers took to do their duty. So Stephanie Winters is a leader who is willing to go through any hardships and any sacrifices to succeed at what she does. Although she is female, I picture her as a character who goes against the stereotypical female. Stephanie reminds me more of a male character at this point, having a mysterious past and having dealt with many a hard time.
Age: 64 years old, this reinforces the fact that Stephanie is an older (but not elderly) lady who has seen her fair share of the cruelties life can offer.
Height: 4 foot 9. I am a short guy, and the top of Stephanie's head comes right up to eye level for me. She is a short woman, which exemplifies even further the fact that she has dealt with bigger (and meaner) people.
Eye and Hair Color: Her eyes are steel blue. Stephanie is a character who is dead set on what she wants, and she will give up anything to see her dreams come true. But she also has another side to her...her hair is bright red (although it's starting to gray a little bit). This shows her passionate side. Just because she can be cold and determined doesn't mean that she is an emotionless monster. She actually CARES about the people that she works with.
Character Traits: Assertive. We've already beaten to death the fact that she is more man than woman. She has a confidence about her that sets her apart from the stereotypical literary woman figure. Imaginative. This is another aspect of her passionate side. Playing into her bright red hair, Stephanie is also very creative and clever. This helps her to succeed and really make a name for herself...in whatever she does. Moody. This is a downside of being a hard-shelled person. Stephanie can occasionally get REALLY crabby. She definitely has her bad days, and she is for sure a person who will snap at you if you get caught on her bad side. Scared of fireworks. Not quite sure about how to implement this one yet, but I'll figure it out eventually. I think that I may have her have a traumatic childhood experience involving a death because of a firework accident. The death will definitely involve a major female figure for her, since that adds to the lack of femininity that she has.
That's all for now, folks. Hopefully after I post my Grimm fairy tale story I'll be able to clue you in a little more on what to expect for my short story collection. I'll have a basic story line by next time, and maybe another character or two. Please comment below and tell me how you like Mrs. Stephanie Winters. I'm eager to read your reactions. Until next time...
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
This Blog is Looking a Little Grimm
I apologize for not posting in a while. My school life has been getting busier and busier as the work piles on and we finally get into that grinding school groove. Once practice for the school play begins (considering the fact that I'll be in it) and once I start writing my November project, life will only get more hectic. So for my next three posts, I will be posting another unedited project. This one is an outline of a modernization of the Grimm fairy tale called Simeli Mountain. I hope you enjoy this one, and this is most likely what many of my November stories will look like. Pre-edit stage, at least.
· Rich brother, poor brother. Come from poor family, rich brother made quick millionaire, young brother unsuccessful salesman who needs to occasionally borrow money from older brother.
· Walking with his products and sees a bright neon sign down an alley. Sign says Bazenji Bazaar. Goes down to investigate when suddenly twelve mean looking guys walk down the alley as well. Ran and hid inside another side alley and watched the twelve.
· They stop at the neon sign and say “Bazenji, Bazenji, open up!” and suddenly the massive iron door opens. They walk inside and it shuts. A little while later the door opens and they walk back out with sacks of something. They say “Bazenji, Bazenji, close!” and the iron door slams shut.
· After the twelve rough looking guys leave, the brother comes out and says “Bazenji, Bazenji, open up!” and he goes inside. He finds a huge warehouse full of gold and treasures, and he takes only a little, then leaves.
· He closes the door and goes home. The poor brother starts living a great life and gives his wealth to others. He eventually asks his brother for a big bag, and his brother suspiciously obliges. The poor brother returns to the Bazenji Bazaar and still only takes a little, but he is seen by the twelve.
· Eventually, the poor brother needs more money, so he asks his brother for another bag. The brother is suspicious of this new get rich quick scheme and wants in. Contrast the greedy rich brother and the giving, sharing poor one. He covers the bottom of the bag with adhesive to trap his brother. The brother goes a third time and is chased down by the twelve. When he gives the bag back to his brother, a gold coin sticks to the bottom, and his brother interrogates him.
· The poor brother lies at first, then eventually his honesty forces him to spill the beans. The rich brother immediately heads to the Bazenji Bazaar, right into the twelve’s trap. When he gets inside, he takes as much as he can and intends not to share it, when suddenly he forgets the name Bazenji and mistakes it for Benji, the dog.
· He sits there for quite a while doting on how worthless worldly possessions truly are when suddenly the twelve come in and mistake him for his twin brother and kill him.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Pertinent Life Questions Part 3
Hello all, and welcome to the latest edition of Pertinent Life Questions. Seeing as this has become a pretty regular thing on my blog, I'd like to explain a bit more of what it actually is. You see, I have this friend who also has a blog, and we decided one day that since she had nothing to blog about, we would give each other blog prompts. These prompts would come in the form of questions being asked to the other blogger, and we would each answer the set of questions we're given. I just decided to call mine Pertinent Life Questions.
So if you're wondering where these questions come from, there you have it. No, I am not making them up. I didn't really expect this whole blog prompt idea to last long, but it has lasted longer than I originally anticipated. This is the long-awaited third installment of Pertinent Life Questions. Enjoy.
Item Number 1: Tell us about one thing you hate about your favorite person.
Well, I could go on and on for days about several different people, but I will stick to one thing I hate for every good friend I have. First of all, I hate the fact that my girlfriend broke up with me, but that's a petty reason to hate someone. I hate it when some people don't take life seriously enough. I mean, I love humor and light-heartedness, but sometimes some people go a bit overboard with it. I also hate it when certain people think that physical appearance is all that matters and that how you look is way more important than who you are. I also hate it when certain people act like jerks as a method of showing affection. I also hate it when people think that they have a right to act arrogant just because they have a certain good quality about them. Alright, that's the end of my friend raid. Love you all, though.
Item Number 2: Make up one nonsense word that doesn't have a negative meaning on UrbanDictionary.com.
This is a tough one, especially considering the fact that the school computer I'm typing on has no access to Urban Dictionary. I will, however, attempt to invent a word and give it meaning. I hope it doesn't already have one.
coll-ir-ble: (CALL-er-bull)
adverb.
1. being unable to touch one's own genitals.
2. being afraid of one's own genitals (collirphobia)
3. unpleasant swelling of one's genitals.
Item Number 3: Do you believe we'll ever attain world peace?
This is an interesting one. My total views on world peace and attaining moral perfection is a confusing one. Long story short, once we can get over racial tensions, religious tensions, and gender tensions, then all will depend on personality and the nature of the spirit. Only then will we respect each other enough to prevent war.
Item Number 4: Communism or Ayn Rand?
A mixture of both would be ideal for me. Socialism as a concept is quite wonderful. Everyone doing the same amount of work and getting the same pay. The concept is flawed, however, because of the reasons I stated for Item Number 3. Ayn Rand's philosophy makes the individual human spirit the primary focus of life, and I most definitely agree with that.
Item Number 5: Is your costume ready for Halloween?
No it is not. I am going with a group of people, and we are replicating all the characters from Clue, the board game. I have drawn the lot of Colonel Mustard, and I can't wait to wear a monocle and some Army boots.
Well, that's my post, guys. I wanted to tell you two things before I close this post. First of all, our Creative Writing class is modernizing the Grimm Fairy Tales, so when I finish with mine, I'll post it on this blog. Secondly, I have been planning more and more for the big writing project I'll be doing in November. I start official planning in October, and you'll see every step of my planning as I do it. I did want to tell you though that I will be writing a collection of short stories for that "novel", and they will all be linked to each other in some way. That is all. See you next time, where I will go into some of my current various musical interests.
So if you're wondering where these questions come from, there you have it. No, I am not making them up. I didn't really expect this whole blog prompt idea to last long, but it has lasted longer than I originally anticipated. This is the long-awaited third installment of Pertinent Life Questions. Enjoy.
Item Number 1: Tell us about one thing you hate about your favorite person.
Well, I could go on and on for days about several different people, but I will stick to one thing I hate for every good friend I have. First of all, I hate the fact that my girlfriend broke up with me, but that's a petty reason to hate someone. I hate it when some people don't take life seriously enough. I mean, I love humor and light-heartedness, but sometimes some people go a bit overboard with it. I also hate it when certain people think that physical appearance is all that matters and that how you look is way more important than who you are. I also hate it when certain people act like jerks as a method of showing affection. I also hate it when people think that they have a right to act arrogant just because they have a certain good quality about them. Alright, that's the end of my friend raid. Love you all, though.
Item Number 2: Make up one nonsense word that doesn't have a negative meaning on UrbanDictionary.com.
This is a tough one, especially considering the fact that the school computer I'm typing on has no access to Urban Dictionary. I will, however, attempt to invent a word and give it meaning. I hope it doesn't already have one.
coll-ir-ble: (CALL-er-bull)
adverb.
1. being unable to touch one's own genitals.
2. being afraid of one's own genitals (collirphobia)
3. unpleasant swelling of one's genitals.
Item Number 3: Do you believe we'll ever attain world peace?
This is an interesting one. My total views on world peace and attaining moral perfection is a confusing one. Long story short, once we can get over racial tensions, religious tensions, and gender tensions, then all will depend on personality and the nature of the spirit. Only then will we respect each other enough to prevent war.
Item Number 4: Communism or Ayn Rand?
A mixture of both would be ideal for me. Socialism as a concept is quite wonderful. Everyone doing the same amount of work and getting the same pay. The concept is flawed, however, because of the reasons I stated for Item Number 3. Ayn Rand's philosophy makes the individual human spirit the primary focus of life, and I most definitely agree with that.
Item Number 5: Is your costume ready for Halloween?
No it is not. I am going with a group of people, and we are replicating all the characters from Clue, the board game. I have drawn the lot of Colonel Mustard, and I can't wait to wear a monocle and some Army boots.
Well, that's my post, guys. I wanted to tell you two things before I close this post. First of all, our Creative Writing class is modernizing the Grimm Fairy Tales, so when I finish with mine, I'll post it on this blog. Secondly, I have been planning more and more for the big writing project I'll be doing in November. I start official planning in October, and you'll see every step of my planning as I do it. I did want to tell you though that I will be writing a collection of short stories for that "novel", and they will all be linked to each other in some way. That is all. See you next time, where I will go into some of my current various musical interests.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Science-Fiction Still Rocks
Here is the second part of my story. I hope you like it! My next post will be the long-awaited third set of questions from my blogging buddy. Without further ado, here is the ending of this amazing tale.
What caught me was the utter silence in the place. I wasn’t hearing voices yelling, I wasn’t hearing guns being shot or people tripping or passing out or anything like that. So where was everybody? I walked around the obstacle and was immediately faced with my friend Graham. He was kneeling on the ground, shaking his rifle and smacking it soundly behind the trigger.
“Graham.” I whispered to him anxiously. He looked up. “Where is everybody?”
“Dude, where were you? Didn’t you notice? They had all of our guns rigged to jam, so that we had to fix ‘em. Today’s Troubleshooting day, remember?”
An almost electric shock of pain shot up my left leg at that moment, and I spun around to see the biggest, meanest guy in class pointing his gun at me.
“Ahh! I missed. I must not have done this thing right.”
As I just said, Bill, the guy pointing the gun at my leg, was the biggest, meanest kid at the school. The dumb lunk must have done something wrong while trying to fix his gun, because he had aimed the shot at my head, and it had impacted right above my ankle. Knowing that my gun was still jammed, I turned and ran off while he tried to figure out what he’d done wrong. Bill followed me. I guess he wanted revenge or something.
Oh wait. I didn’t tell you yet, did I? Well, here’s the thing. I made a rather derogatory comment towards Bill’s intelligence (or lack thereof) the other day, and, like they say, an elephant never forgets. So Bill was still pretty fumed at me, and that is presumably why he shot me and not Graham. And now he was following me.
Realizing that I had to hide and give myself time to get Bill off my trail, I darted up a flight of stairs and into another of my little hidey-holes behind a metal wall. I figured that that move would totally confuse him and get him away from me, so I settled down to take a look at this gun that I had no idea how to fix. I started doing what I saw Graham doing, pounding the butt of the gun, when suddenly the metal flap that acted as my door was ripped clean off. Startled, I scooted back further into the hole as Bill poked his big meaty head in.
“Hey Rob,” the big lunk said. “Do you wanna take back what you said about me being as dumb as a Class 5 Droid?”
Ever the comedian, I felt the need to hold my ground and stick next to whatever trouble my mouth got me into.
“Uh, no,” I replied snarkily, “I’m actually demoting you to Class 6.”
Bill let out a snarl and shoved his gun into my chest. After a moment of hesitation, the pulse inside the gun shot through me, and the pain of being shot at such a close range was overwhelming. I actually passed out. The next thing I remember seeing was the disapproving face of Professor Gottlob and the school nurse, Miss Pepper. I was on some kind of soft hospital bed. I was in those rags that they gave the patients, and then I felt weird because I figured someone had to have changed me into those rags.
“Robert, Robert, Robert. You have to stop this bad behavior of yours.” That was Professor Gottlob, I think. His voice was still kind of distorted in my head. “Sleeping in class…especially on Troubleshooting Day. Everyone knows that we do the whole ‘fixing a broken gun’ drill.”
“Well, apparently, I didn’t.”
“Robert, I think that because of recent events, you’d belong in a…different school of learning.”
“A different school? You’re not gonna send me to the science university, are you?”
Gottlob laughed. “Oh no, nothing quite like that. Robert, you are excellent with firing a gun, you have a great intelligence, and you are clever as well.” Here Gottlob paused, presumably for dramatic effect. What he had to say next was big. “We would like you join the forces of PIT, Peta Intelligence Technology. You’ve probably never heard of them, but-“
“Never heard of them?!” I screamed. “I’ve read all about them in the novels. They’re like the secret agents of the whole Peta operation. Why would you want me to join them? I’m nothing special.”
“Well, the PIT agents obviously see something in you, and they want you to start enrolling in training courses right away.”
“Well, the PIT agents obviously see something in you, and they want you to start enrolling in training courses right away.”
And that, my friends, is how my life was transformed from a dim, miserable one into a great romantic one full of adventure and awesomeness. I excelled at all of my classes, and later, when I was in the field, I was given several awards for bravery and valor. But that’s a completely different story…
Friday, September 16, 2011
Science-Fiction Rocks
I apologize for not posting recently. I've been sick this whole week, and this is the first day that I actually feel good about the world. A while ago, I wrote that I was writing a science-fiction story for my Creative Writing class. It had to be a minimum of three pages. I will post the story (in two posts) on this blog. And beware...this work is also unedited. Tell me in the comments below if you like it.
That's roughly half of my story. I will post the other half next, obviously. I would really appreciate some helpful comments on this concept, because this story is another contender to be my November novel. (You'll see how after the ending.) Thank you, and...smell ya later!
It was Troubleshooting Day, and I fell asleep in military school. So when my old PM-590 malfunctioned during our Real-Time Combat Activity (RTCA) today, I had no clue how to fix it. They always give the youngest and smallest guys the worst tech. And this wasn’t the only time that I’ve fallen asleep in class either. Just last week, I was innocently sitting in Strategics, and all of a sudden I just nodded off.
I don’t really know how it happened; Professor Gottlob was talking about, oh, I dunno, ancient Greek army formations, and I just totally conked out on my desk. I mean, Greek army formations are interesting compared to the other things we learn in that class, but something about having to digest that crap on a bright and beautiful Friday afternoon just disagreed with me. And so I rebelled by falling asleep.
“ROBERT!” Gottlob yelled as he slammed the textbook on my desk.
“I’m up, I’m up.” I replied sleepily, proving that I definitely had not been up.
“Did you hear what I asked you, Robert?” I was lucky I hadn’t gotten buzzed; Gottlob was what they called a “buzzer.” There was some new DM (Disciplinary Method) where teachers were allowed to electrically buzz students for any reason. Being a “buzzer” meant that you were a teacher who buzzed often. But I think Gottlob liked me.
“Ahh, no. I was sleeping. What was the question?”
“I ASKED you about the Trojan War. What do you know about it?”
“Well, there was a giant horse, and the Greeks piled up inside of it, and they attacked the Trojan city. Right?”
“Exactly. What does this lesson teach us about WAR, gentlemen?”
No one answered.
“It teaches us that the Trojans were idiots for allowing that to happen! Here at Peta Military School, we strive to create smart and strong young men who would not, in the Trojans position, have let a giant wooden horse into their city! Do you read me, gentlemen?”
I glanced over at the guy sitting next to me, and we shared a subdued laugh.
“Did I say something humorous, Robert? Graham?”
“Uh, it’s nothing sir. Pay it no mind.”
Whenever a teacher says the full name of our school, I laugh. I can’t help it. You would laugh too, if the initials for your military school spelled out PMS. It contributed to the whole idea that seemingly all of our teachers had sticks up their butts most of the time. Okay, okay, I’m pretty immature, but if you’re like me and you don’t have anything going for you, you gotta play the part of the clown. It’s the only way you fit in. I mean, I’m short, weak, and dumb. What else am I supposed to do with my time?
Anyways, I was glad that I had only fallen asleep during Greek army formations day. However, as I mentioned in the beginning, I fell asleep again on Troubleshooting day, too. THAT mistake almost turned into a fatal one. I learned my lesson that time, which was don’t fall asleep, and don’t be a smart-alec to your fellow students.
So anyways, we were learning how to fix the standard issue PM-590 in the event that it would lock up and not shoot. I nodded off, and this time, no one bothered to wake me up. When the end-of-class noise went off, I jolted awake and hurried to my next class. After two more classes, the day was over and it was time to eat dinner. We had to walk through the courtyard to get to the mess hall, and the courtyard has this big metal box hanging above it. The box could be lowered at any time to create an impromptu combat practice session. Sometimes it happened while we were walking to dinner.
Today was one of those days. A loud metallic screeching noise signaled the descent of the box, and everyone around me tensed up and mentally prepared themselves for battle. The box hit the ground and stayed there, and I looked around to refamiliarize myself with the battleground. The box had obstacles and stairways built into it to create a rather interesting and varied battle site. There was one big wall where everybody got their guns, and after we were all prepped, the timer gave us 30 seconds to get in a specific location. After those 30 seconds, the battle would begin, with the last guy standing being declared the winner.
After grabbing my gun, I turned tail and ran for my own special starting point. It wasn’t an official one, really. I actually started every battle with a little bit of cheating. I started under one of the obstacles, in an area of ripped tarp where I could tuck under a bunker and hide for most of the match.
So I already said how small I was, but I was actually a pretty good shot with the old PM-590. Why did I hide during battles, then? Because everybody else relied on brute force to win, rather than skill with a gun. So I was hanging out in my little secret cubby, and I waited for a while to let a couple people get eliminated. Then I went out from my cubby and into the battle for the first time.That's roughly half of my story. I will post the other half next, obviously. I would really appreciate some helpful comments on this concept, because this story is another contender to be my November novel. (You'll see how after the ending.) Thank you, and...smell ya later!
Monday, September 12, 2011
LET'S PLAY SOME FOOTBALL!!!
Like most teenaged males, I love football. American football, that is. But I love it for a good reason. It's very exciting, it's very complex and interesting, and it's pretty much the only thing that gets me pumped enough to blow my voice out. I am an avid fan of the Cleveland Browns, and, as everybody knows, it can be very hard sometimes to be a Cleveland fan. Who am I kidding? It's hard all the time.
So anyways, my high school's team is doing quite well (we're 3-0 at the time I'm writing this) and I hope that we'll be able to do well this year. My one regret so far in my life is that I never tried out for my school's team. Seeing as I'm now a senior and buried firmly in Performing Arts, I really can't reverse that decision. So this post is dedicated to my dad. He was the one who got me into football, and while I didn't like football until about four years ago, he still is the one responsible for getting me into it.
But the football spectacle that we know and love today wasn't always this way. Before it was football, football was rugby, played extensively in Europe in the 1800s. It was also played as rugby in the U.S. at various colleges and universities at that time. Modern football as we know it sprung from rugby with the help of Walter Camp, who gave the game crucial concepts like the line of scrimmage and the whole idea of downs.
The rules of the game were toned and perfected up until the early 1900s, when the idea of the forward pass finally became common. However, college football, not pro football, held the nation until the 1950s. The focus was on colleges ballplayers and the many rivalries that existed between schools. Bowl games were around 100 years ago, and they're still being played today. (I personally hate the Bowl system, because it forces a team to be virtually perfect to have any chance of reaching the championship)
The first pro football deal was made back in 1892 by Bill Heffelfinger, who was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association. The Ohio League (Ohio is pretty much the source of all football culture) was formed in 1903, and in 1920, the Ohio League added teams from outside Ohio, forming the American Professional Football Association in the process. 2 years later, they became what is now known as the NFL.
The NFL proceeded to become the "major league" of American Football, and popularity for pro football (as opposed to college football) grew. The popularity reached its peak after the 1958 Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, which has been named the Greatest Game Ever Played. A new league, the American Football League, was created in 1960 because of the ever growing success of pro football. Seeing this new league as a threat, the NFL decided to merge the two leagues and make a new championship game: the Super Bowl.
Ever since that 1958 Championship Game and the later merge between the NFL and AFL, football has been a hit, arguably replacing baseball as America's sport. As I said at the beginning, I love football. I love watching it on all three levels of competition, high school, college, and pro. So I'd like to close out this post with a message to Cleveland: don't disappoint me Browns. Although I haven't lived long enough to truly appreciate what it means to be a Cleveland fan, I have already felt that cold feeling of disappointment and that burning desire to have a better team. I will not quit on you, Cleveland. But you'd better not quit on me.
So anyways, my high school's team is doing quite well (we're 3-0 at the time I'm writing this) and I hope that we'll be able to do well this year. My one regret so far in my life is that I never tried out for my school's team. Seeing as I'm now a senior and buried firmly in Performing Arts, I really can't reverse that decision. So this post is dedicated to my dad. He was the one who got me into football, and while I didn't like football until about four years ago, he still is the one responsible for getting me into it.
But the football spectacle that we know and love today wasn't always this way. Before it was football, football was rugby, played extensively in Europe in the 1800s. It was also played as rugby in the U.S. at various colleges and universities at that time. Modern football as we know it sprung from rugby with the help of Walter Camp, who gave the game crucial concepts like the line of scrimmage and the whole idea of downs.
The rules of the game were toned and perfected up until the early 1900s, when the idea of the forward pass finally became common. However, college football, not pro football, held the nation until the 1950s. The focus was on colleges ballplayers and the many rivalries that existed between schools. Bowl games were around 100 years ago, and they're still being played today. (I personally hate the Bowl system, because it forces a team to be virtually perfect to have any chance of reaching the championship)
The first pro football deal was made back in 1892 by Bill Heffelfinger, who was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association. The Ohio League (Ohio is pretty much the source of all football culture) was formed in 1903, and in 1920, the Ohio League added teams from outside Ohio, forming the American Professional Football Association in the process. 2 years later, they became what is now known as the NFL.
The NFL proceeded to become the "major league" of American Football, and popularity for pro football (as opposed to college football) grew. The popularity reached its peak after the 1958 Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, which has been named the Greatest Game Ever Played. A new league, the American Football League, was created in 1960 because of the ever growing success of pro football. Seeing this new league as a threat, the NFL decided to merge the two leagues and make a new championship game: the Super Bowl.
Ever since that 1958 Championship Game and the later merge between the NFL and AFL, football has been a hit, arguably replacing baseball as America's sport. As I said at the beginning, I love football. I love watching it on all three levels of competition, high school, college, and pro. So I'd like to close out this post with a message to Cleveland: don't disappoint me Browns. Although I haven't lived long enough to truly appreciate what it means to be a Cleveland fan, I have already felt that cold feeling of disappointment and that burning desire to have a better team. I will not quit on you, Cleveland. But you'd better not quit on me.
Friday, September 9, 2011
More Pertinent Life Questions
I'd like to start off today by saying something. I have decided that I will not participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I am simply too busy, and it's not realistic that I'll actually get it done. I will still attempt to speedwrite as much as I can on a specific story in the month of November, but I will not attempt the 50,000 words that NaNo asks for. If you doubt that I am too busy, then just consider the fact that I haven't been posting in this blog as often because of school. I will hopefully be involved in my school's fall play during the months of October and November, so that would create an added burden that would hinder me from being a WriMo.
So there. As for today's post, I have another set of questions from my blogging partner which all promise to be humorous, so without further ado, I shall begin. Actually, there is a little ado. Firstly, my blogging partner has promised "bonus points" if I make her laugh. As to what these mysterious "bonus points" are, I have no idea. Second, I wanted to tell you all that in my Creative Writing class, we have progressed to the Sci-Fi genre. My Sci-Fi short story will be posted in its entirety once it is finished next week.
Question Number 1: Why is a raven like a writing desk?
Apparently this is some kind of famous Alice in Wonderland joke/riddle, but I wouldn't know. I've never read the book or seen either of the movies. According to the author of the book, he did not intend for it to have any answer at all, but many people with too much time on their hands have devised possible answers. One is "Because Poe wrote on both," but I find that to be a bit too simple. Lewis Carroll's (the author's) answer is "because they can produce a few notes, though they are very flat, and it is never put with the wrong end in front." That's all I'll say about that.
Question Number 2: If a quiz is a quizzical, what is a test?
First of all, a quiz is not a quizzical. What the hell is a quizzical, anyway? Now, many of you are expecting to hear the good old "Well, it must be a testicle! Hardy har har." But that's not my answer. If you look closely at the letters, it shows that they add "ical" to the end of "Quiz" and they double the last letter of the base word. So a test would be correctly called a testtical. Or tesstical if you would anglicize it. Completely different from a single testicle.
Question Number 3: If the world suddenly became a theocracy, what major world religion would you choose? Why?
I have the power to choose the ruling class for the entire world? Holy ballsack. You all already know my views on religion, if you've been reading my blog so far. So, with that in mind, I'd probably choose one of those religo-philosophies instead of a strict religion. With that being said, I'd totally pick Buddhism. It's the most popular of the philosophies, and they seem pretty chill.
Question Number 4: What would your parents do if you were pregnant/got your girlfriend pregnant?
Hmm. Let's take this question apart one bit at a time. First, let's look at "What would your parents do". My parents are pretty harsh. So in other words, if I get an A-, I'm in the dog house. Next, let's look at "if you were pregnant". I am a male, so I can't get pregnant. Okay. That was easy enough. Lastly, let's look at "got your girlfriend pregnant." This would be impossible for two reasons. A: I don't have one :'( B. I lost my penis in a tragic genital accident. I was streaking through the vibrant streets of Fairport Harbor, and suddenly a motorcycle zoomed by me and some chick grabbed my dick and ripped it clean off. So there.
Question Number 5: Are you writing the one-act this year?
First, this answer needs some background info. Every year, my school does a student produced one-act at the end of the year, and I am probably going to be the one in charge of that. So yes, I will be presumably writing the one-act this year. As to what it will be about, I do not know. The entire creative process for that will be posted on this blog.
Question Number 6: Are you going to make me read your dumb blog to get your answers?
Excuse me, but I don't have a dumb blog. Only a good one. And does it count if you're reading this as I type it, Meg? Hmm...
Question Number 7: What is behind that sexy black box?
This question is completely confusing if you don't have a picture to go along with it, and I can't take one right now. So the last question will be answered next time. See ya! (No questions next post)
So there. As for today's post, I have another set of questions from my blogging partner which all promise to be humorous, so without further ado, I shall begin. Actually, there is a little ado. Firstly, my blogging partner has promised "bonus points" if I make her laugh. As to what these mysterious "bonus points" are, I have no idea. Second, I wanted to tell you all that in my Creative Writing class, we have progressed to the Sci-Fi genre. My Sci-Fi short story will be posted in its entirety once it is finished next week.
Question Number 1: Why is a raven like a writing desk?
Apparently this is some kind of famous Alice in Wonderland joke/riddle, but I wouldn't know. I've never read the book or seen either of the movies. According to the author of the book, he did not intend for it to have any answer at all, but many people with too much time on their hands have devised possible answers. One is "Because Poe wrote on both," but I find that to be a bit too simple. Lewis Carroll's (the author's) answer is "because they can produce a few notes, though they are very flat, and it is never put with the wrong end in front." That's all I'll say about that.
Question Number 2: If a quiz is a quizzical, what is a test?
First of all, a quiz is not a quizzical. What the hell is a quizzical, anyway? Now, many of you are expecting to hear the good old "Well, it must be a testicle! Hardy har har." But that's not my answer. If you look closely at the letters, it shows that they add "ical" to the end of "Quiz" and they double the last letter of the base word. So a test would be correctly called a testtical. Or tesstical if you would anglicize it. Completely different from a single testicle.
Question Number 3: If the world suddenly became a theocracy, what major world religion would you choose? Why?
I have the power to choose the ruling class for the entire world? Holy ballsack. You all already know my views on religion, if you've been reading my blog so far. So, with that in mind, I'd probably choose one of those religo-philosophies instead of a strict religion. With that being said, I'd totally pick Buddhism. It's the most popular of the philosophies, and they seem pretty chill.
Question Number 4: What would your parents do if you were pregnant/got your girlfriend pregnant?
Hmm. Let's take this question apart one bit at a time. First, let's look at "What would your parents do". My parents are pretty harsh. So in other words, if I get an A-, I'm in the dog house. Next, let's look at "if you were pregnant". I am a male, so I can't get pregnant. Okay. That was easy enough. Lastly, let's look at "got your girlfriend pregnant." This would be impossible for two reasons. A: I don't have one :'( B. I lost my penis in a tragic genital accident. I was streaking through the vibrant streets of Fairport Harbor, and suddenly a motorcycle zoomed by me and some chick grabbed my dick and ripped it clean off. So there.
Question Number 5: Are you writing the one-act this year?
First, this answer needs some background info. Every year, my school does a student produced one-act at the end of the year, and I am probably going to be the one in charge of that. So yes, I will be presumably writing the one-act this year. As to what it will be about, I do not know. The entire creative process for that will be posted on this blog.
Question Number 6: Are you going to make me read your dumb blog to get your answers?
Excuse me, but I don't have a dumb blog. Only a good one. And does it count if you're reading this as I type it, Meg? Hmm...
Question Number 7: What is behind that sexy black box?
This question is completely confusing if you don't have a picture to go along with it, and I can't take one right now. So the last question will be answered next time. See ya! (No questions next post)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Pertinent Life Questions
For today's post, I'm going to do something a little special. A good friend of mine decided that we should exchange blog prompts and use them on our respective blogs. So my prompt was a set of seven very pertinent life questions which I will answer as best as I can. Here goes nothing...
Question Number 1: Why do they warn us when a sex offender moves into our neighborhood, but not a murderer?
Good question. Next.
Question Number 2: Spiritually, what is the difference between humans and animals?
Hmm, I'd say, I dunno, a soul. I believe that humans have something about them that sets us firmly apart from our animal counterparts. On that note, I have been hearing some rumors of a rather covert set of experiments that are attempting to give apes souls. Apparently the experiments are going quite splendidly; they have managed to get the apes to cry when they see their mothers-in-law, but besides that, all they do is sit around and fart all day.
Question Number 3: What's the difference between today and tomorrow?
Well, one is in the present, and the other is not. Simple, yet so difficult. If one considers the existence of the space-time continuum, then maybe, by folding it so that two spots on the continuum meet, both today and tomorrow can occur in the present, but when that happens, mass panic occurs and by the next day everybody has forgotten about it.
Question Number 4: If humans are all made from the same body of mass, what physically seperates us from each other?
Who the hell ever said we were from the same body of mass? Sheesh. Next.
Question Number 5: If a tree falls and no one hears it, will it make a sound?
Alright, I'm gonna give a serious answer for this one, because it has boggled the minds of mindless people for eons. Yes, the falling tree will crash on the ground and make a sound. Will the sound be received by human ears? No, because no one is around. So there.
Question Number 6: This question was left for dead. In other words I'm not supposed to post it.
Question Number 7: Where is the nail polish remover? Seriously, my nails need a new coat of paint.
Well, I'm a straight male, so I wouldn't know where your goddamn paint is. Next.
I guess we've reached the end of this little questionnaire. There is, however, one more question to be answered.
Now, if you can't see that, the question asks "Why do giraff have antenna?" Horrid grammar and spelling aside, there is a very nice picture of a giraffe there. And that is where I will end my post. Next time will be more serious, I promise. I'd like to close with a hot new indie song about giraffes. This guy is the very definition of hip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs78nJfhJ28
Question Number 1: Why do they warn us when a sex offender moves into our neighborhood, but not a murderer?
Good question. Next.
Question Number 2: Spiritually, what is the difference between humans and animals?
Hmm, I'd say, I dunno, a soul. I believe that humans have something about them that sets us firmly apart from our animal counterparts. On that note, I have been hearing some rumors of a rather covert set of experiments that are attempting to give apes souls. Apparently the experiments are going quite splendidly; they have managed to get the apes to cry when they see their mothers-in-law, but besides that, all they do is sit around and fart all day.
Question Number 3: What's the difference between today and tomorrow?
Well, one is in the present, and the other is not. Simple, yet so difficult. If one considers the existence of the space-time continuum, then maybe, by folding it so that two spots on the continuum meet, both today and tomorrow can occur in the present, but when that happens, mass panic occurs and by the next day everybody has forgotten about it.
Question Number 4: If humans are all made from the same body of mass, what physically seperates us from each other?
Who the hell ever said we were from the same body of mass? Sheesh. Next.
Question Number 5: If a tree falls and no one hears it, will it make a sound?
Alright, I'm gonna give a serious answer for this one, because it has boggled the minds of mindless people for eons. Yes, the falling tree will crash on the ground and make a sound. Will the sound be received by human ears? No, because no one is around. So there.
Question Number 6: This question was left for dead. In other words I'm not supposed to post it.
Question Number 7: Where is the nail polish remover? Seriously, my nails need a new coat of paint.
Well, I'm a straight male, so I wouldn't know where your goddamn paint is. Next.
I guess we've reached the end of this little questionnaire. There is, however, one more question to be answered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs78nJfhJ28
Friday, September 2, 2011
So, About Religion....
For this first semester of my senior year in high school, I am taking a course called Contemporary World Religions. It seems like it will be incredibly interesting, and I know next to nothing about what some people believe. For this post, I will touch a bit on each of the major eight world religions and what they believe in, followed by a talk on what exactly defines a religion. I'll end it with some of my own beliefs on faith. So without further ado, let's get started!
I'd like to begin by delving into the oldest religion that is still practiced on earth: Hinduism. It is currently the third largest religion on the planet, and it is mainly practiced in India. Now, the Hindus have some crazy things going on. They have roughly 330 million Gods and Goddesses, (that's not a joke) and they structure their beliefs much like the Native Americans did. Their religion is more a way of life than it is a specific part OF their life. Another interesting thing about them is that really, they only have one supreme God who just happens to have 329,999,999 other personalities.
Next, I'd like to touch upon the two major religions in China: Confucianism and Taoism. Both are more philosophy than religion, because neither have deities. It's just two old Asian men telling people how to live. Taoists came about because of Lao-Tzu, and they also have the yin yang as part of their claim to fame. Confucius was obviously the guy who founded Confucianism, and a little fun fact about China is that they blend all of the Far Eastern religions into one kind of master philosophy.
Buddhism is one of the religions that the Chinese put in the blender. Buddhism came about when a sheltered little momma's boy named Siddhartha eventually got out into the world. He didn't like what he saw, and wanted to enlighten himself to find out how to live. This religion doesn't really have a specific God either. Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion, right after the Hindus, and it is actually becoming very popular in the U.S.
Before I get into the whole mess that is the Jews, Christians, and Islams, I'd like to touch on the Japanese Shinto religion. This religion is incredibly young, probably the youngest big major world religion out there. Shinto, like Hindu, is a lot like many Native American religions, with a major focus on nature and peace. The Japanese believe that the Shinto gods give power to whichever ruling family is ruling at the time.
Now, as most of you know, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all follow the same one God, although they are all very different religions. When one meshes the three together, they take up more than half of the entire world's population. I will assume, then, that most of you know pretty much all there is to know about these puppies. The main point of this post, after all, was to raise awareness of things that I (we) may not know about.
As to what makes a religion a religion...I think that if it requires faith, it has to be a religion. Religion is based around the fact that you have to believe in something that you can't necessarily see. While this may hold true for some philosophies, faith also includes believing in something that doesn't make sense. Take Mary for example. She was a virgin, yet she gave birth. It doesn't make sense, yet Christians believe it to be true.
Now for my own thoughts on religion. I know that me posting what I believe may be very controversial to some readers, but I can't help who I am. You'd think with all this talk of religion that I'd be a fanatic of at least something, but I'm not. I'm agnostic. World religions simply interest me so much because they are all so similar, yet so different. In my humble opinion, how you live your life matters more than who you're living it for.
Please please please don't mistake me for an immoral person. Just because I believe that God is a lie doesn't mean that I have no morals. I still believe that we humans have a job to be kind to others and to help others achieve their goals, while still working to achieve our own. I'm what my uncle calls a sincere agnostic: I hold the highest respect for any and all other beliefs, and I recognize the values in them, but I JUST DON'T BUY IT. If you have an issue with that, please just keep it to yourself.
Well, that's my controversy-filled post on religion. I may delve deeper into this topic later, but today I just wanted a quick and dirty post to fill some space. With that being said, I'll keep you updated on what I'm doing with my writing when I have anything to update. No YouTube video this time, but maybe next time. Until then...
I'd like to begin by delving into the oldest religion that is still practiced on earth: Hinduism. It is currently the third largest religion on the planet, and it is mainly practiced in India. Now, the Hindus have some crazy things going on. They have roughly 330 million Gods and Goddesses, (that's not a joke) and they structure their beliefs much like the Native Americans did. Their religion is more a way of life than it is a specific part OF their life. Another interesting thing about them is that really, they only have one supreme God who just happens to have 329,999,999 other personalities.
Next, I'd like to touch upon the two major religions in China: Confucianism and Taoism. Both are more philosophy than religion, because neither have deities. It's just two old Asian men telling people how to live. Taoists came about because of Lao-Tzu, and they also have the yin yang as part of their claim to fame. Confucius was obviously the guy who founded Confucianism, and a little fun fact about China is that they blend all of the Far Eastern religions into one kind of master philosophy.
Buddhism is one of the religions that the Chinese put in the blender. Buddhism came about when a sheltered little momma's boy named Siddhartha eventually got out into the world. He didn't like what he saw, and wanted to enlighten himself to find out how to live. This religion doesn't really have a specific God either. Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion, right after the Hindus, and it is actually becoming very popular in the U.S.
Before I get into the whole mess that is the Jews, Christians, and Islams, I'd like to touch on the Japanese Shinto religion. This religion is incredibly young, probably the youngest big major world religion out there. Shinto, like Hindu, is a lot like many Native American religions, with a major focus on nature and peace. The Japanese believe that the Shinto gods give power to whichever ruling family is ruling at the time.
Now, as most of you know, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all follow the same one God, although they are all very different religions. When one meshes the three together, they take up more than half of the entire world's population. I will assume, then, that most of you know pretty much all there is to know about these puppies. The main point of this post, after all, was to raise awareness of things that I (we) may not know about.
As to what makes a religion a religion...I think that if it requires faith, it has to be a religion. Religion is based around the fact that you have to believe in something that you can't necessarily see. While this may hold true for some philosophies, faith also includes believing in something that doesn't make sense. Take Mary for example. She was a virgin, yet she gave birth. It doesn't make sense, yet Christians believe it to be true.
Now for my own thoughts on religion. I know that me posting what I believe may be very controversial to some readers, but I can't help who I am. You'd think with all this talk of religion that I'd be a fanatic of at least something, but I'm not. I'm agnostic. World religions simply interest me so much because they are all so similar, yet so different. In my humble opinion, how you live your life matters more than who you're living it for.
Please please please don't mistake me for an immoral person. Just because I believe that God is a lie doesn't mean that I have no morals. I still believe that we humans have a job to be kind to others and to help others achieve their goals, while still working to achieve our own. I'm what my uncle calls a sincere agnostic: I hold the highest respect for any and all other beliefs, and I recognize the values in them, but I JUST DON'T BUY IT. If you have an issue with that, please just keep it to yourself.
Well, that's my controversy-filled post on religion. I may delve deeper into this topic later, but today I just wanted a quick and dirty post to fill some space. With that being said, I'll keep you updated on what I'm doing with my writing when I have anything to update. No YouTube video this time, but maybe next time. Until then...
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Continuation of My Last Post
I was going to write my whole debate on religion for this post, but I decided against it. Seeing as this is a blog to hone my writing skills, I figured that I should include the completion of the unedited short story that I wrote in Creative Writing class. So here it is. I promise that I will get back to writing about more pertinent topics eventually. Oh and by the way, comment below on what you think of my story. If I feel like it is a good enough topic, I will turn this into my NaNoWriMo project, as I said before.
Reacting quickly, the black-haired man grabbed at a nearby window sill and pulled himself through. A huge crash signaled the ladder’s inevitable meeting with the ground, and the man let out a sigh of relief, happy that he didn’t land with it. He heard a strange voice behind him cry out, and then the soft patter of rapid footsteps. Figuring that he wasn’t supposed to be where he was, he glanced around the room to search for a place to hide. It looked like an abandoned apartment, with a bathroom and an area where a bed could go, but there was no carpet or flooring of any kind, and the walls were bare. Catching sight of an open closet door, he ran inside and closed himself in. The door to the apartment slammed open and a young man of about 19 entered the room.
The man was not strongly built, but he was still wiry and athletic. His dull brown hair seemed plastered to his head, and he had a bent soggy cigarette drooping from his mouth. To the black-haired man’s surprise, the young man held a gun with both hands and was making a sweep of the room with it.
“Hey!” the man with the gun called out. “Anybody there?” Then, more to himself, he added “What was that crash, anyway?” The man drifted over to the open window and peeked out, seeing the fallen ladder. “I guess we got someone on the roof! Time to go for a little chase.” He chuckled to himself. Deciding on impulse to act, the black-haired man swung open the closet door and leaped at the man with the gun.
“Oh no you won’t, kid.” He said as he went for his gun hand and tore the weapon out of the other man’s grip. “Do you really know how to use one of these things? I’ll bet you don’t. But I do, and I’m not afraid to use it on a suspicious-looking kid like you.”
After the black-haired man had disarmed the kid, he cried out and shouted for someone named James. Another brief stampede of feet could be heard from the next room over, and suddenly four more kids with guns appeared. The leader, the one called James, stepped towards the black-haired man and smiled. He was as old as he was, but he had seen his fair share of back alley scuffles. He had a scar on his left cheek which traced his jawbone, and part of his arm looked like it had been burned.
“Well now, what do we have here? An intruder. Timmy, how did you manage to dig up this guy?”
“I think he climbed in with our ladder, boss.” Timmy replied. “He knocked it back down after he was up here. That was that crash we heard a little while ago.”
“You took away your only hope of escape, man.” James was addressing the black-haired man now. “You see, we’re doing some rather…illegal things in this place, and we can’t have just anyone poking around in here.” After a pause, he added, “So we’re gonna have to get rid of you, quickly and quietly. Come on, boys. Let’s rumble.”
At this moment, the black-haired man recalled to his mind some other things that his father had taught him. His father used to be a Marine, and he had taught his son how to fight like one. He had never used his father’s fighting lessons to become a bully, but he knew that he might one day need to fight to survive. Today was that day.
He knocked over a tall pile of cardboard boxes so that they fell on top of the four gangsters, and he realized that the boxes were full of long metal poles as one fell out and rolled towards him. Deciding that he would rather injure these kids than shoot them and potentially kill them, he stuffed the stolen gun in his pocket and picked up a pole. Noticing that Timmy was running up behind him, he swung around and cracked him on the head with the pole. There was a satisfying smacking noise, and the pole vibrated with sound as it struck the boy’s hard skull.
“Ah, I see. So you want it the hard way, do you?” James said as he saw how he had dispatched Timmy. “Let’s make this a real fight. Without guns.” James and his three cronies dropped their weapons and pulled knives out of their leather jackets. With a little bit of strength and a big “Uumph,” the black-haired man tossed his metal pole like a javelin straight into one boy’s face. The blow knocked him out cold, and the man bent to scoop up another pole from the box.
As he came back up to standing position, he used his new pole to swipe another boy’s legs, sending him down to the ground and causing him to bang his head on the wall. Three of the original five boys were now down for the count, and only James and one other remained. The other boy charged and held his knife high, but the black-haired man simply stepped aside and let the boy pass him. James stalked towards the black-haired man slowly and cautiously. He made a tentative and sloppy slash at him with his knife, which the man cleanly deflected with the pole. Suddenly, James let out a primal scream and leaped at him, hoping to catch him off guard and make him forget about the other boy coming up behind him.
But he didn’t forget. He jumped aside again, out of James’ way, and James ended up accidently burying the knife into his buddy’s arm. Expletives flew from both ends of the knife, and James came around to face the black-haired man again with nothing but his bare hands.
“Now look what you made me do, you idiot. Frank was a good friend of mine, and you made me go and stab his arm.” He chuckled. “I guess you’re more trouble than you’re worth. But I ain’t done yet. Drop the pole, pretty boy, and let’s fight like real men. Every try THAT, you pansy?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the black-haired man said. “I was fighting back when you were still wet behind the ears, whelp. Whatever you guys are doing, I can tell that it isn’t good. And I’m gonna get out of here and find the police.”
“Haha! You can try if you can get past me. And the rest of the gang. And all the little booby traps we’ve got set up here to make sure no one like you gets out. Or in, for that matter.”
After a second of intense mental debate, the black-haired man simply turned his head and ran. He thought that it would be better to get out now rather than to take his chances with James. For all he knew, he could have had another knife up his sleeve and would have used it eventually. As he ran out of the room and down a long hallway, he heard voices calling out behind him. Not just James’ voice, but many other voices as well. These kids had some kind of major operation going on in this old abandoned place, and whatever it was, it was pretty serious stuff.
Sneaking into a remote closet in a back room of the apartment, he contemplated exactly how he would get out of the place. He had the gang members to deal with, as well as all of the booby traps they had set up. Screw getting to the police, just getting out of the building alive would prove to be an issue.
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